Japan - V.League V1 (Division 1, Women) 2019-2020

  • the simple answer is there are probably very few times that these gyms are only hosting single matches at a time. So in order to use the space efficiently you set up 3-4 courtS at the same time. And that makes it nearly impossible to shoot video from the side. Hence the end line shot.

    Fuji TV can at least put the popular teams on the outside for recording or broadcast. As tournament gets to qf then you can shrink to 2 courts.

    I've always wondered if the Cameras belong to the Gym or if the broadcasters bring their own cameras. Not to mention the lighting. A lot of these matches are played in the same gyms across the spectrum of HS, Uni, V9, V1, V2 but the quality varies greatly (not to mention how extremely poor the VTV broadcasts are).


    It's oddly coincidental to me that those 2017 V2 (Forest Leaves) matches had good quality (and commentary) and these 2017 V9 matches had quality, and then it stopped. I assume it's budgetary? But ... coincidentally ... this is when the JVL announced all their "Grow the Game" stuff. Maybe they think lowering the quality of broadcasts will encourage people to go see them live, sort of like NBA blackouts. The experience of this fan in San Francisco is probably not their priority :):(:S

  • Speaking of the vortex of post-2017 vb coincidences --keeping in mind that this was the genesis year of JVL's "Grow the Game" mantra and whatnot-- the V9 web site started tracking team members from 2018, and at least a few of the business group teams stopped updating their measly web pages for their girls volleyball after 2017. It also appears that the "Big" teams have dropped the "All Japan Business Group" tournament from their schedules.


    I don't understand V9's relationship to the JVA or JVL but I'm still going to deduce that the V9 world is in cahoots, as turtle slow as it may be at cahooting, with the JVL's vision of making volleyball more "professional" and etc., less associated with a business entity and more "in touch" with the community: holding volleyball classrooms, picking up litter, handing out boxes of tissue, and etc.

  • V9 sells "Multi-angle edition of all 8 games of the V9 Champ League" ... "edited like a TV broadcast" with commentary on Blu-ray and DVD. ~U$40/U$30.


    Well now. Mystery solved. 40 bux is too much for me but this is a cool arrangement, I guess. Give away a low quality (which isn't that bad, really) for free and charge for the luxuries.


    The single end of court camera matches are interesting because the combinations they run with five attackers are surreal. But I need faces.

  • Retirement News

    Denso Airybees


    √ #3 Yui Asahi (OH) Retired


    Only three years with Denso after a nice run with my favorite college team, Tsukuba. She took only 8 swings and scored zero points last season, in spite of Denso's wing issues ... so, I guess, yeah, what's the point? I always had a secret crush on her. She seemed a little too elegant and pretty to be playing volleyball in Japan.

    √ #7 Kozue Hayasaka (Setter) Retired


    I didn't know Kozue played with JT Marvelous for a couple seasons (2012-2014) as an OH and then went off to university before signing with Denso as a setter. She started taking minutes from one of my favorite setters, Airi Tahara. After initial anger I warmed to her. That says a lot. But now Denso has not only Airi, but Tashiro and the fabulous award winning Tamaki Matsui (Asian Champ w/U20 and NT wide roster pick). So, again, what's the point?

    √ #17 Asuka Nomura (OH/MB) Retired


    A serviceable all-arounder but took far fewer swings in her seven year career than Sinéad Jack took in 2019-20. Ditto


    Himeji Victorina


    √ #19 Haruka Kojima (Setter) Retired


    Haruka spent only a half season with Himeji handing out towels during time-outs. For my money, she was the best towel hander outer I've ever seen. She's moving into management.

    √ #20 Mutsumi Yasuda (OH) Retired


    Damn. Only one season with Himeji after college. Took 16 swings and scored 1 point. There was something about her, though. When she came on for her sub routine she looked like she knew what she was doing and was taking names. Maybe kick a little ass. Now we'll never know :(

  • Although i'm not the biggest fan of the Japanese league, or rather i dont follow it intensively, so most of this news doesn't mean too much to me because i don't really know who the players are, but the creativity, reliability and dedication with wich sitenoise reports is really commendable, and even just sporadic thread reading allows me to feel the passion of JVL too. Great job, it is always my pleasure to see something like this.

  • Although i'm not the biggest fan of the Japanese league, or rather i dont follow it intensively, so most of this news doesn't mean too much to me because i don't really know who the players are, but the creativity, reliability and dedication with wich sitenoise reports is really commendable, and even just sporadic thread reading allows me to feel the passion of JVL too. Great job, it is always my pleasure to see something like this.

    I keep telling sitenoise that they have to go experience the league in person. It is not cheap getting there though. However, those who follow from abroad are right in saying there is not much information in English, plus not as many foreigners compared to Italy, Turkey or China.


    With my work for the FIVB on writing for the league, I have learned to focus on the top players and teams. Plus having posted on both men and women going back to 2012-2013 range on the board, I can talk about teams and progressions. However, sitenoise watches way more matches than I care to watch, and for me with a regular job (in addition to FIVB work), kind of detox on the weekend and follow NFL, Premier League as well. I usually just look at scores and stats because I have a feeling of what should be happening, but sitenoise is breaking down a rookie who just retired, where as I’ll say “they loved playing but felt they could not play at this level.”

    Additionally the league has some interesting Things going on with the players and now with more social media around the sport in Japan, we are trying to highlight those things.

  • This is my "Game of Thrones". An entertainment drama with revolving characters and revolving drama. Some characters get more screen time and more drama than others. In the big scheme of things it's not important. It just entertains me :)


    I enjoy writing. My day job is writing technical nonsense for other people. I need to write about something I enjoy or I'll start to dislike writing.


    Most of these young women are doing what I did in my early twenties. I played in a rock band. We were quite successful at a local level. It took a few years to recognize we weren't going to be the next Radiohead. Yui Asahi ain't gonna be the next Zhu Ting. But we both did something we enjoyed and created memories.


    This is also my personal anecdote to cancel culture. People who wake up every day and ask: "Who can I be mad at today?" "Who shall I critique and disparage?" don't interest me. I look for the puppies and rainbows



  • sitenoise is breaking down a rookie who just retired

    :rolll: I own that. I love that :)

  • :rolll: I own that. I love that :)

    I am not complaining about it because in theory I need to know every player, but with FIVB writing, focus on big players that people see with NT (Japan and others), give some detail but not too much.

    Additionally for me in my job I do market analysis, but it usually just on the numbers and don’t get to do much long form writing as in past work. So the writing allows me to research and connect dots, which people may not realize. As we got to the finals, I needed to give more detail within the sets, so watching a video highlight or complete video just to see how big the gaps were, if they were overcome or not, etc. FIVB has said it is a different style than many of their articles (from FIVB corporate), but it for them is a good to have a different feel.

    sitenoise keep up the good work on your end as if you can start learning the language (takes some time believe me), you be able to find more stuff such as all of theme music for each of the FIVB events in Japan.

  • Sorokaite to return to Japan with Toyota Auto Body Queenseis.

    I can't find a source for this but if true I approve this message. Toyota is a little mixed up and Sorokaite seems like a great mixture of power and personality to move them forward a bit. And she wasn't getting the love she deserves in Italy

  • Youtuber Pooshan1053, butt-stalker extraordinaire, victim of The Apocalypse, appears to be back and uploading all his old videos, starting with 2014. His new channel is called "Poohsan1053_Volleyball_NPO:NonProfitOriginal"-- as if stating that he isn't making a profit will shield him from recrimination.


    He never uploaded streams of broadcasts. It's all footage he shoots with his own camera, edits, often with a musical soundtrack and sometimes in slow motion. His stuff is equal parts crap and greatness. He has a very high quality camera and after years of shooting a lot of matches he's pretty good at it. I never understood why he felt threatened by The Apocalype's silent takedown orders.


    He was a wonderful source for coverage of off-tournaments like Empress Cup and Black Eagle, sometimes offering the only videos one could find. And bless his little butt-stalking heart, he recently uploaded three matches from the 2019 V9 Championship :!:I can see faces! They are a wonderful companion to the end-court camera streams --which are better for seeing how the game is actually played.

  • Retirement News (a crushing blow)


    Kanon Sonoda aka "The Cannon" (b. 2000.09.09) appears to be hanging it up. A 2019 Champion U20 alum, 2018 MVP and Best Setter for the U19 Asian Junior Champions, she graduated from HS Wunderteam Higashi Kyushu Ryukoku one year ago. She originally signed with Okayama while still in school but moved to PFU for the 2019-20 season. She hardly played with either team. I'm hoping she's 'transfer hoping' but with a line like this from her goodbye message, I doubt it:


    "I couldn't show you how to play, but I would like to do my best by applying what I have cultivated through volleyball to my future life."


    She was one of the most money setters I've seen. I wanted her at NEC so bad. I guess she's just one of those players who didn't want to hassle with putting big pants on.



  • NEC Red Rockets have re-christened Misaki Yamauchi as Captain for 2020–21. Good move, good sign. Misaki is the most captain-y player they've had since Akari Oumi retired. Misaki is 25 years old and it could mean that she'll retire at the end of the season, as seems common practice in V.League -- giving a semi-vet the Captain's crown as a thank-you gift out the door. But I think it means she's dedicated to bringing NEC back to elite status where they belong.


    NEC has the deepest team in the league --by far-- of talented players. Maybe that's the problem. They also have this democracy thing going on where they all get playing time. Nobody finds their rhythm. It's extremely ill-advised for them to hire a foreigner.


    • (S) - Yuka Sawada showed she's got what it takes to lead the team tossing the ball up for others to hit, and her tenaciousness at keeping the ball off the floor reeks of Haruka Miyashita
    • (L) - Manami Kojima is next in line for Captain. I'm happy to eat crow for not believing in her. She paid her dues a few years on the bench and now she's on fire. Mio Sato as backup. What more can you ask?
    • (MB) - Nichika Yamada & Haruyo Shimamura. I won't be surprised if Shimamura retires this summer, but so far, so good. If she does retire, MB will be a weak spot unless Yamada says no. It's time for Yamada to start taking names. NEC also landed the two best MBs coming out of University: Kasumi Nojima & Moeka Kinoe.
    • (OP) - Yamauchi, Yanagita, YOLO. It's silly for three OPs of this caliber to be on the same team. Yamauchi is the weakest but she's got elephant balls and she's Captain. Yanagita is back to her young ways. She had the second highest kill % of local swingers last season. Think of all the local Japanese swingers with a reputation that you know. She bested them. YOLO is YOLOing.
    • (OH) - This is where things get stupid. Assuming Koga remains a Preexisting Condition, and the Three-Ys (above), who are better at OP, don't figure into the mix (like they did too often last season), that leaves one spot open for: Nanami Hirose, Chinami Furuya, and Ayumi Yoshida. Yoshida is still a kid so set her and her Fighting Spirit Award aside. I don't like Furuya but have to give her props for thinking she's better than everyone else. It helps. Hirose emerged as the team's best spiker a year and a half ago but has been saddled with injury since. Or something. There's no other reason for her to not be playing full time.


    #gogoNEC :super:

  • That incident is getting a lot of miles lately. Ouch. Frankly, the shake snub is so weird I assume there must be a good explanation for it :rolll:


    When I watch that video I see 3 minutes of Brankica snubbing her own team mates. I used to get very mad at her for that

  • Retirement News


    Toyota Auto Body Queens


    #13 Neriman Özsoy Gonna miss her terribly.

    One step closer to Indre Sorokaite now.
    #7 Marina Shichi (C)

    Another Captain out the door.
    #3 Saori Takahashi

    She was Captain the previous season. Not sure why she hung around to not play for one more. I'll bet she continues to work with the team in some capacity.
    #5 Mami Uchiseto

    Mami was never going to be a winner, but she was good enough that as long as she was there she was going to play. Not to be harsh or unkind but I'm kind of glad she's stepping aside for others to get a chance.
    #14 Nozomi Kanamoto

    I wanted to see more from her but she never got the chance.



    Saitama Ageo Medics


    Head Coach Toshiaki Yoshida


    I'm surprised this guy doesn't have a Wikipedia page.

    • After graduating from Juntendo University and University of Tsukuba, he moved to the United States in 1979
    • After serving as an assistant coach for the US Women's National Team, he became the US Women's National Team coach in 2000
    • Silver medal at the 2002 World Championship
    • 2003 World Cup bronze medal
    • 5th place in Athens Olympics.
    • During his tenure from 2001 to 2004, he helped the American Women's National Team to the first place in the FIVB ranking

    In July 2009, he became director of Saitama Ageo Medics.

  • I hope Sorokaite's got 1,000 swings in her if she's the one coming to Toyota's rescue. They just lost five swingers.


    Sarina Koga should transfer to Toyota. New start for her, new start for Toyota. It hurts me to write that.


    Toyota's still solid at MB and libero, but none of their setters have shown anything. Their spikers are now a couple teenagers of limited pedigree (#1 Hinata Shigihara and #2 Saki Inaba), a 27 year old coming off knee surgery (#6 Nao Muranaga), someone I've never seen play in the four years she's been with the team (#16 Kasumi Nakaya), and #17 Miyoko Yabuta. That's it.


    Yabuta had a decent last season but I fear it might just be a blip because I haven't really seen improvement. Muranaga's had a reasonable, if disappointing career of 28/50 but that ain't gonna cut it as a Preexisting Condition.


    :sos: